Baltics or baltics. Baltic countries. History of settlement and formation of states
The Baltic states (Baltic states) include three former Soviet republics not included in the CIS - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They are all unitary republics. In 2004, all three Baltic countries became members of NATO and the European Union.
Baltic countries
Table 38
Feature geographic location the Baltic countries have access to the Baltic Sea and a neighboring position with the Russian Federation. In the south, the Baltic countries border on Belarus (Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland (Lithuania). The countries of the region have a very important political and geographical position and a favorable economic and geographical position.
The countries of the region are very poor in mineral resources. Peat is ubiquitous among fuel resources. The richest among the Baltic countries is Estonia, which has reserves of oil shale (Kohtla-Järve) and phosphorites (Maardu). Limestone reserves are distinguished by Latvia (Broceni). Famous springs of mineral waters: in Latvia Baldone and Valmiera, in Lithuania - Druskininkai, Birštonas and Pabirže. in Estonia - Häädemeeste. The main wealth of the Baltics is fish and recreational resources.
In terms of population, the Baltic states are classified as small countries in Europe (see Table 38). The population is distributed relatively evenly, and only on the coast does the population density increase slightly.
In all countries of the region, the modern type of reproduction dominates, and everywhere the death rate exceeds the birth rate. The natural population decline is especially high in Latvia (-5% o) and in Estonia (-4% o).
In the sex composition, as in most European countries, the female population predominates. In terms of the age structure of the population, the Baltic countries can be classified as “aging nations”: in Estonia and Latvia, the share of pensioners exceeds the share of children, and only in Lithuania these indicators are equal.
All the Baltic countries have a multinational composition of the population, and only in Lithuania Lithuanians make up the absolute majority of the population - 82%, while in Latvia, Latvians account for only 55% of the population of the republic. In addition to the indigenous peoples, a lot of the so-called Russian-speaking population lives in the Baltics: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and in Lithuania - Poles. The largest share of Russians is in Latvia (30%) and in Estonia (28%), but it is in these countries that the most acute problem is the observance of the rights of the Russian-speaking population.
Estonians and Latvians are Protestants by religion, while Lithuanians and Poles are Catholics. The majority of the believing Russian-speaking population considers themselves to be Orthodox.
The Baltics are characterized by a high level of urbanization: from 67% in Lithuania to 72% in Estonia, but there are no millionaire cities. The largest city in each republic is its capital. Among other cities, it should be noted in Estonia - Tartu, in Latvia - Daugavpils, Jurmala and Liepaja, in Lithuania - Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai.
Employment structure of the population of the Baltic countries
Table 39
The Baltic countries are provided with highly qualified labor resources. Most of the population of the countries of the region is employed in the non-productive sphere (see table 39).
In all the Baltic countries, emigration of the population predominates: the Russian-speaking population leaves for Russia, Estonians - for Finland, Latvians and Lithuanians - for Germany and the USA.
After the collapse of the USSR, the structure of the economy and specialization of the Baltic countries changed significantly: the predominance of the manufacturing industry was replaced by the predominance of the service sector, and some branches of precision and transport engineering, light industry, in which the Baltic countries specialized, practically disappeared. At the same time, the importance of Agriculture and the food industry.
Electricity is of secondary importance in the region (with 83% of Lithuania's electricity being provided by the largest in Europe Ignalina
NPP), ferrous metallurgy, represented by the only center of converting metallurgy in Liepaja (Latvia).
The branches of industrial specialization of the modern Baltic include: Precision mechanical engineering, especially the electrical industry - the production of radio equipment in Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Kaunas), televisions (Siauliai) and refrigerators (Vilnius) in Lithuania; machine tool building in Lithuania (Vilnius) and ship repair in Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Klaipeda). The transport engineering that developed in Latvia during Soviet times (production of electric trains and minibuses) practically ceased to exist; Chemical industry: production of mineral fertilizers (Maardu and Kohtla-Järve in Estonia, Ventspils in Latvia and Jonava in Lithuania), production of chemical fibers (Daugavpils in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania), perfumery (Riga in Latvia) and household chemicals (Tallinn in Estonia and Daugavpils in Latvia); Timber industry, especially furniture and pulp and paper industry (Tallinn, Tartu and Narva in Estonia, Riga and Jurmala in Latvia, Vilnius and Klaipeda in Lithuania); Light industry: textile (Tallinn and Narva in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Kaunas and Panevezys in Lithuania), garment (Tallinn and Riga), knitwear (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius) and footwear (Vilnius and Siachuliai in Lithuania); Food industry, in which dairy and fish play a special role (Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Riga, Liepaja, Klaipeda, Vilnius).
The Baltic countries are characterized by the development of intensive agriculture with a predominance of animal husbandry, where the leading role is played by dairy cattle breeding and pig breeding. Almost half of the cultivated area is occupied by fodder crops. Rye, barley, potatoes, vegetables, flax are grown everywhere, and sugar beets are grown in Latvia and Lithuania. In terms of agricultural production, Lithuania stands out among the Baltic countries.
The Baltic countries are characterized by a high level of development of the transport system, where road, rail, pipeline and sea modes of transport stand out. The largest seaports in the region are Tallinn and Pärnu in Estonia; Riga, Ventspils (oil), Liepaja - in Latvia and Klaipeda - in Lithuania. Estonia has a ferry connection with Finland (Tallinn - Helsinki), and Lithuania - with Germany (Klaipeda - Mukran).
Among the branches of the non-production sphere, the recreational economy is of particular importance. The main tourist and recreational centers in the Baltics are Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu in Estonia;
Riga, Jurmala, Tukums and Baldone - in Latvia; Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga, Trakai, Druskininkai and Birštonas are in Lithuania.
The main foreign economic partners of the Baltic states are the countries Western Europe(especially Finland, Sweden and Germany), as well as Russia, and there is a clear reorientation of foreign trade towards Western countries.
The Baltic countries export devices, radio and electrical equipment, communications equipment, perfumery, household chemicals, timber, light, dairy and fishing industries.
Imports are dominated by fuel (oil, gas, coal), industrial raw materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals, apatites, cotton), "vehicles, consumer goods.
Questions and tasks Give the economic and geographical characteristics of the Baltic States. Name the factors that determine the specialization of the economy of the Baltic countries. Describe the development problems of the region. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Estonia. Give an economic and geographical description of Latvia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Lithuania.
The Baltic states include three former Soviet republics that were not part of the CIS - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They are all unitary republics. In 2004, all three Baltic countries became members of NATO and the European Union.
Baltic countries
Table 38
A feature of the geographical position of the Baltic countries is the presence of an outlet to the Baltic Sea and a neighboring position with the Russian Federation. In the south, the Baltic countries border on Belarus (Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland (Lithuania). The countries of the region have a very important political and geographical position and a favorable economic and geographical position.
The countries of the region are very poor in mineral resources. Peat is ubiquitous among fuel resources. The richest among the Baltic countries is Estonia, which has reserves of oil shale (Kohtla-Järve) and phosphorites (Maardu). Limestone reserves are distinguished by Latvia (Broceni). Famous springs of mineral waters: in Latvia Baldone and Valmiera, in Lithuania - Druskininkai, Birštonas and Pabirže. in Estonia - Häädemeeste. The main wealth of the Baltics is fish and recreational resources.
In terms of population, the Baltic states are classified as small countries in Europe (see Table 38). The population is distributed relatively evenly, and only on the coast does the population density increase slightly.
In all countries of the region, the modern type of reproduction dominates, and everywhere the death rate exceeds the birth rate. The natural population decline is especially high in Latvia (-5% o) and in Estonia (-4% o).
In the sex composition, as in most European countries, the female population predominates. In terms of the age structure of the population, the Baltic countries can be classified as “aging nations”: in Estonia and Latvia, the share of pensioners exceeds the share of children, and only in Lithuania these indicators are equal.
All the Baltic countries have a multinational composition of the population, and only in Lithuania Lithuanians make up the absolute majority of the population - 82%, while in Latvia, Latvians account for only 55% of the population of the republic. In addition to the indigenous peoples, a lot of the so-called Russian-speaking population lives in the Baltics: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and in Lithuania - Poles. The largest share of Russians is in Latvia (30%) and in Estonia (28%), but it is in these countries that the most acute problem is the observance of the rights of the Russian-speaking population.
Estonians and Latvians are Protestants by religion, while Lithuanians and Poles are Catholics. The majority of the believing Russian-speaking population considers themselves to be Orthodox.
The Baltics are characterized by a high level of urbanization: from 67% in Lithuania to 72% in Estonia, but there are no millionaire cities. The largest city in each republic is its capital. Among other cities, it should be noted in Estonia - Tartu, in Latvia - Daugavpils, Jurmala and Liepaja, in Lithuania - Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai.
Employment structure of the population of the Baltic countries
Table 39
The Baltic countries are provided with highly qualified labor resources. Most of the population of the countries of the region is employed in the non-productive sphere (see table 39).
In all the Baltic countries, emigration of the population predominates: the Russian-speaking population leaves for Russia, Estonians - for Finland, Latvians and Lithuanians - for Germany and the USA.
After the collapse of the USSR, the structure of the economy and specialization of the Baltic countries changed significantly: the predominance of the manufacturing industry was replaced by the predominance of the service sector, and some branches of precision and transport engineering, light industry, in which the Baltic countries specialized, practically disappeared. At the same time, the importance of agriculture and the food industry has grown.
Electricity is of secondary importance in the region (with 83% of Lithuania's electricity being provided by the largest in Europe Ignalina
NPP), ferrous metallurgy, represented by the only center of converting metallurgy in Liepaja (Latvia).
The branches of industrial specialization of the modern Baltic include: Precision mechanical engineering, especially the electrical industry - the production of radio equipment in Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Kaunas), televisions (Siauliai) and refrigerators (Vilnius) in Lithuania; machine tool building in Lithuania (Vilnius) and ship repair in Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Klaipeda). The transport engineering that developed in Latvia during Soviet times (production of electric trains and minibuses) practically ceased to exist; Chemical industry: production of mineral fertilizers (Maardu and Kohtla-Järve in Estonia, Ventspils in Latvia and Jonava in Lithuania), production of chemical fibers (Daugavpils in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania), perfumery (Riga in Latvia) and household chemicals (Tallinn in Estonia and Daugavpils in Latvia); Timber industry, especially furniture and pulp and paper industry (Tallinn, Tartu and Narva in Estonia, Riga and Jurmala in Latvia, Vilnius and Klaipeda in Lithuania); Light industry: textile (Tallinn and Narva in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Kaunas and Panevezys in Lithuania), garment (Tallinn and Riga), knitwear (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius) and footwear (Vilnius and Siachuliai in Lithuania); The food industry, in which the dairy and fish industries play a special role (Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Riga, Liepaja, Klaipeda, Vilnius).
The Baltic countries are characterized by the development of intensive agriculture with a predominance of animal husbandry, where the leading role is played by dairy cattle breeding and pig breeding. Almost half of the cultivated area is occupied by fodder crops. Rye, barley, potatoes, vegetables, flax are grown everywhere, and sugar beets are grown in Latvia and Lithuania. In terms of agricultural production, Lithuania stands out among the Baltic countries.
The Baltic countries are characterized by a high level of development of the transport system, where road, rail, pipeline and sea modes of transport stand out. The largest seaports in the region are Tallinn and Pärnu in Estonia; Riga, Ventspils (oil), Liepaja - in Latvia and Klaipeda - in Lithuania. Estonia has a ferry connection with Finland (Tallinn - Helsinki), and Lithuania - with Germany (Klaipeda - Mukran).
Among the branches of the non-production sphere, the recreational economy is of particular importance. The main tourist and recreational centers in the Baltics are Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu in Estonia;
Riga, Jurmala, Tukums and Baldone - in Latvia; Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga, Trakai, Druskininkai and Birštonas are in Lithuania.
The main foreign economic partners of the Baltic states are the countries of Western Europe (especially Finland, Sweden and Germany), as well as Russia, and there is a clear reorientation of foreign trade towards the countries of the West.
The Baltic countries export devices, radio and electrical equipment, communications equipment, perfumery, household chemicals, timber, light, dairy and fishing industries.
Imports are dominated by fuel (oil, gas, coal), industrial raw materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals, apatites, cotton), "vehicles, consumer goods.
Questions and tasks Give the economic and geographical characteristics of the Baltic States. Name the factors that determine the specialization of the economy of the Baltic countries. Describe the development problems of the region. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Estonia. Give an economic and geographical description of Latvia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Lithuania.
There are many interesting things in the history of the development of each Baltic country - there is something to learn, in some ways to take an example, and in some things you can learn from the mistakes of others.
Despite their small territory and small population, they manage to occupy a significant position in various international economic and trade associations.
If you are wondering: the Baltic countries are which countries, how they developed and how they live, then this article is just for you, because here you can find all the necessary answers.
In this article we will look at their history, development and current position in the world political and economic arena.
Baltic countries. Composition
Neither more nor less, but three states are called the Baltic countries. At one time they were part of the USSR. Today all the Baltic states are completely independent.
The list looks like this:
They are at the same time similar and differ in their history, development, inner color, people, traditions.
The Baltic States cannot boast of large reserves natural resources, which is reflected in the economy. The demographic situation has negative dynamics, since the death rate exceeds the birth rate. The high level of emigration of the population to other more developed countries of Europe also affects.
To summarize, in many ways modern development the Baltic states is at the expense of the European Union. Of course, this affects both the domestic and foreign policies of these countries.
Since 1992, Estonia has chosen the European development path as a priority and has begun to turn away from any interactions with Moscow, while maintaining warm relations.
Quick transition to market economy contributed by loans and external loans for hundreds of millions of dollars. Besides, European countries returned to Estonia funds that had been frozen since the republic's accession to the Soviet Union in the 40s of the 20th century.
The global financial crisis has severely affected the Estonian economy
In just five years after 2000, the country's GDP increased by half. However, the global financial crisis did not spare Estonia and increased the unemployment rate from 5 to 15%. For the same reason, in 2009 the level of industrial production fell by more than 70%.
Estonia is a fairly active member of NATO and takes part in most peacekeeping operations, for example, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Multinational culture
It's hard to believe, but one country combines the cultures of Latvia, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Sweden, and also other countries. This is due to the fact that at one time the rulers chose one or the other vector of development.
Estonia can be proud of its commitment to modernizing all processes. Since 2000, it has been possible to report taxes electronically. Since 2008, all meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers have not been recorded in paper minutes - everything takes place in electronic form.
Continuous introduction of new information technologies
Imagine - over 78% of the country's population uses the Internet. This figure is one of the best in all of Europe. In the world by the level of development information technologies ranks 24th in a ranking of 142 countries.
In this regard, Estonians really have something to be proud of.
Despite the massive computerization, spiritual values, as well as the preservation of the surrounding nature, are also a priority in the development of this country. Especially noteworthy national cuisine, which is distinguished by the so-called peasant spirit from the past.
The Baltic States are a small and beautiful corner on planet Earth
There is a lot to learn from the three small countries. Despite the fact that they are completely energy dependent on other states, they managed to make a significant leap in their development compared to other countries that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
So, the Baltic countries are what countries, how did they develop and how do they live? We hope this article was useful for you, and you were able to find all the necessary answers regarding the history, development and current position of these states in the world political and economic arena.
When the Baltic countries are mentioned, they primarily mean Latvia with its capital in Riga, Lithuania with its capital in Vilnius and Estonia with its capital in Tallinn.
That is, post-Soviet state formations located on the eastern coast of the Baltic. Many other states (Russia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland) also have access to the Baltic Sea, but they are not included in the Baltic countries.
But sometimes the Kaliningrad region belongs to this region. Russian Federation... Almost immediately, the economies of the Baltic republics showed rapid growth.
For example, GDP (in PPP) per capita from 1993 to 2008 there grew 3.6 times, reaching $ 18,000 in Latvia, $ 19,500 in Lithuania, and $ 22,000 in Estonia in general. in Russia, it only doubled and amounted to $ 21.6 thousand. On this basis, the ruling elite of the Baltic states, imitating Japan and South Korea, proudly began to call themselves the Baltic economic tigers. Like, give me a time, just a few more years and then we will show everyone who fed whom in the Soviet Union.
Since then, seven whole years have passed, but for some reason a miracle has not happened. And where did he come from there, if the entire economy of these republics continued to exist exclusively on Russian commodity and raw materials transit? Everyone remembers the indignation of the Poles about the apples that have become unnecessary and the Finns with their suddenly overstocking dairy industry. Against this background, the problems of Lithuania, which supplied 76.13% of its own vegetables and 67.89% of fruits to Russia, did not seem so significant. Taken together, they provided only 2.68% of the country's total exports. And even the fact that Russia bought up to half (46.3%) of Lithuanian industrial products also looked pale in view of the insignificance of the total volume of its production in Lithuania, either in pieces, in tons or in money. As, however, in Latvia and Estonia too.
Own production in the post-Soviet period was not strong point none of the Baltic "tigers". In reality, they lived, as they say, not from industry, but from the road. After secession from the USSR, they got the ports through which the cargo turnover of about 100 million tons passed, for the transshipment of which Russia paid up to $ 1 billion annually, which was equal to 4.25% of the total GDP of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in 1998.
As the Russian economy recovered, Russia's exports also grew, and with it the volume of transshipment in the Baltic ports increased. At the end of 2014, this figure reached 144.8 million tons, including: the port of Riga - 41.1 million tons; Klaipeda - 36.4 million tons; Tallinn - 28.3 million tons; Ventspils - 26.2 million tons. Only one Russian liberal "Kuzbassrazrezugol" shipped more than 4.5 million tons of coal per year to its customers through the Baltic states.
The picture with the Baltic monopoly on oil transportation is especially indicative. The Soviet Union at one time built on the coast a powerful for those times oil terminal Ventspils and extended there the only transport pipeline in the region. When "gaining independence" all this economy went to Latvia free of charge.
So in the 1990s, it received a pipe through which the former "occupier" pumped over 30 million tons of oil and oil products per year. If we consider that logistics cost about $ 0.7 per barrel, and barrels per ton 7.33, then according to the most modest estimates, Latvians had $ 153.93 million “for travel” every year. Moreover, their “earnings” increased by the growth of Russian oil exports.
While Russian liberals spread rot on the country for the too raw-material structure of the economy, by 2009 the total volume of foreign supplies of Russian oil reached 246 million tons, of which 140 million tons passed through the Baltic ports per year. In "transport money" this is more than $ 1.14 billion of them, of course, the Latvians did not get it, part of the cargo turnover went through St. Petersburg and ports Leningrad region, but the Balts very much hindered their development by all available means. Apparently, there is no need to specifically explain why.
The second important source of "road money" for the Baltic ports was the transshipment of sea containers (TEU). Even now, when St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Ust-Luga are actively involved, Latvia (Riga, Liepaja, Ventspils) accounts for 7.1% of our container turnover (392.7 thousand TEU), Lithuania (Klaipeda) - 6.5% (359.4 thousand TEU), Estonia (Tallinn) - 3.8% (208.8 thousand TEU). In total, these limitrophes charge from $ 180 to $ 230 for the transshipment of one TEU, which brings them about $ 177.7 million per year for the three. Moreover, the figures given reflect the situation in 2014. Ten years ago, the share of the Baltic states in container logistics was about three times higher.
In addition to oil, coal and containers by the Baltic Sea, Russia carries mineral fertilizers, of which more than 1.71 million tons were shipped through Riga alone in 2014, and other chemicals, such as liquid ammonia, 1 million tons of which was pumped by the port Ventspils. Up to 5 million tons of fertilizers were loaded onto ships in Tallinn. In general, it is safe to say that until 2004, about 90% of all Russian "sea" exports passed through the Baltic States, providing the "tigers" with at least 18-19% of their total GDP. To this should be added rail transit. For example, in 2006, Estonia alone received an average of 32.4 trains per day from Russia, which brought about $ 117 million annually to the port of Tallinn alone!
Thus, for twenty years, in general, per circle, only due to their transit position "on the road", by the way, built by "Soviet occupiers", Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia received up to 30% of their GDP.
They shouted at Russia very actively and in every possible way provoked the growth of the conflict base between Russia and the US-EU. They allowed themselves to humiliate and destroy the Russian-speaking population of their countries, assuming that they would never have to answer for this. By the way, many people think so. And they are wrong. No matter how it is.
At the same time, they still had jobs, tax revenues and the opportunity to boast of extremely high rates of their own economic growth, at least one and a half times ahead of Russian ones. Moreover, this did not in the least prevent the Balts from declaring an incredibly huge Russian debt to them for the "destructive" Soviet occupation. It seemed to them that there was simply no alternative, and that meant that this anti-Russian freebie at the Russian expense (!) Would last forever.
Building a new port like Riga “from scratch” costs about four annual GDP of Latvia. I emphasize that for four years the whole country, from babies to decrepit old people, should not drink, not eat, not spend a penny on anything else, just work together on the construction of the port. The improbability of such a scenario created the conviction among the Baltic geopolitical mosques of their absolute impunity. It made it possible to simultaneously apply for Russian money and actively participate in the anti-Russian political and economic bacchanalia, and in some places even initiate it.
Is it any wonder that Russia did not understand this state of affairs - the loud barking of petty geopolitical dwarfs? It is another matter that the result, due to which the Estonian government delegation has recently rushed to Russia to "negotiate", did not arise yesterday and is not a consequence of Russian retaliatory food sanctions.
Even a formal reason - the Russian notification of the transition from 12 to 6 train pairs in rail traffic with Estonia - is only the final point of the batch, which began on June 15, 2000, when the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation began to implement the project to build a port in Ust-Luga. Although it would be more correct to talk about a whole program that provided for the advanced development of all Russian ports in the Baltic. Thanks to it, the cargo turnover of Ust-Luga increased from 0.8 million tons in 2004 to 10.3 million tons in 2009 and 87.9 million tons in 2015. And at the end of 2014, Russian ports have already provided 35, 9% of the total container turnover in the Baltic, and this figure continues to grow very rapidly.
Gradually improving the port economy and developing its own transport infrastructure, Russia today has come to the conclusion that we can provide more than 1/3 of containers, ¾ of gas exports, 2/3 of oil exports, 67% of coal and other bulk cargo exports on our own. This is a popular question among liberals that "nothing has been properly built in this backward country, a gas station in ten years."
As it turned out, it was built. And there are so many that the need for a Baltic transit transport corridor has practically disappeared. For rail transportation - five times. By container - at four. In terms of general cargo volume - three. In 2015 alone, the transportation of oil and oil products through adjacent ports fell by 20.9%, coal - by 36%, even mineral fertilizers - by 3.4%, although by this indicator they still retain a high degree of monopolization. by and large, that's it - the freebie is over. Now Russophobes can walk on their own.
A sharp decrease in the cargo turnover of the Baltic ports in the first quarter of 2016 (for example, in Riga - by 13.8%, in Tallinn - by 16.3%) plays the role of the last straw that can break the back of a camel. Actually, Estonia was bustling about because it suddenly realized that by the end of this year, about 6 thousand people could be unemployed in the port of Tallinn. And even up to 1.2 thousand will have to be cut on the railway, of which at least 500 people - in the next 2-3 months.
Moreover, the drop in freight traffic is finally derailing the entire economy. railways both Estonia itself and neighboring Lithuania and Latvia. They are becoming totally unprofitable both in the cargo and in the passenger segments.
For a country in which there are just over 500 thousand people working, of which 372 thousand are employed in the service sector, this is not just a sad prospect, but the collapse of the entire economy. So they ran to please, buy and in all other ways to atone for sins. But as they say, the train left. Having made an unconditional stake on the EU and the United States, a stake on the destruction and humiliation of the Russians in the Baltic states, a stake on the humiliation of Russia, the Baltic ruling elites have made a strategic mistake that can no longer be corrected. We will remember this for a long time.
Despite all the political collisions, the life of the Baltic economy throughout the post-Soviet years was provided only thanks to one thing - trade relations with Russia. And Russia endured for a long time, urged, admonished, persuaded the Baltic elite, receiving nothing but spitting in return. They saw our Russian imperial approach as weakness. For fifteen years the Baltic "tigers" did everything to destroy this interest. Finally, they can be congratulated - they have achieved their goal.
In the next year and a half, we can expect a final and progressive decline in trade, after which the Baltic economy will be covered with a copper basin and return to what it was two hundred years ago - and become a deaf, poor, poor and useless land. Moreover, they look equally hopeless from Brussels, from Moscow, from Washington.
At the same time, you can bet on - American tanks and NATO fighters will evaporate from there, since there will also be no need to defend these remote places. Therefore, they will most likely also be expelled from NATO in the next five years. There won't be a miracle. The freebie is over. Russia will not forgive and will not forget the mockery that geopolitical mongrels allowed themselves against Russia and the Russians.
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The Baltic population of the Baltics and the Russians had long-standing, centuries-old, good-neighborly contacts, the beginning of which dates back to the very foundation of the Russian state in the 9th century. Suffice it to recall the foundation in 1030 by the Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise of the Yuryev fortress near Lake Peipsi (now the city of Tartu in Estonia). These lands were vassals of Kievan Rus, then - of the Novgorod Republic. Russian principalities contributed to the cultural development of this region, brought Orthodox Christianity to the Baltic states. However, during the period of feudal fragmentation of the Russian lands, the Baltics left the sphere of our influence.
In 1219, the Danes undertook a crusade and captured the north of Estonia, but already in 1223 the local population revolted against the Danes and called for help from the Russian principalities. The Russians came to the rescue, but the subsequent defeat of the Russian troops by the Mongols on Kalka in 1223 forced us to transfer forces from the Baltic to defend the Russian lands. As a result, by 1227, the troops of Denmark and the Order of the Swordsmen again captured Estonia. Under the treaty of 1238, Estonia was divided between Denmark and the Order: the Danes got the north, and the Germans got the south of Estonia. The crusaders were engaged in the systematic extermination of the Estonians, forcibly converting them to Catholicism and killing those who disagree. This led to a series of uprisings against German-Danish rule, but without Russian help these uprisings were doomed to failure, and Russia itself was then under the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
Under the treaty of 1346, the Danish king sold his Estonian possessions to the Livonian Order, which has since owned all of Estonia.
The arrival of Germans in the Baltic States began from the territory of modern Latvia. In 1197 - 1199 German knights undertook a successful campaign, landing their army from the sea at the mouth of the Western Dvina, and conquered part of Livonia. In 1201 they founded the Riga fortress. At that time, the armor was vassals of the Russian principalities and enjoyed their protection, and the fortresses of the Polotsk principality were located in the upper reaches of the Western Dvina. As a result, already in 1207, the first military conflict broke out between the Order of the Swordsmen and the Principality of Polotsk.
As a result of long wars and raids, the German knights established themselves in the lands of Latvia and Estonia, united in the Livonian Order. The order led a very cruel, bloody policy towards the local population. Thus, the Baltic people of the Prussians, akin to modern Latvians and Lithuanians, were completely exterminated by the German knights. Lats and Estonians were forcibly converted to Catholicism.
The state of the Livonian Order on the territory of Latvia and Estonia existed until the Livonian War, started by the strengthened Russian state under Ivan the Terrible to protect the Russian lands from the threat from the crusaders and to protect the local population from German tyranny. In 1561, after military defeats from the Russian troops, the Grand Master Gotthard Kettler took the title of Duke of Courland and recognized himself as a vassal of Poland. Following the results of the Livonian War, which ended in 1583, Estonia and the north of Latvia (Livonia) were ceded to Sweden, and the south of Latvia (Courland) became a vassal of Poland.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhamoisk, as this state was called in full, existed from the 13th century to 1795. Nowadays, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine are located on its territory. According to the most common version, the Lithuanian state was founded by Prince Mindovg around 1240, who united the Lithuanian tribes and began to progressively annex the fragmented Russian principalities. This policy was continued by the descendants of Mindaugas, especially the Grand Dukes Gedimin (1316 - 1341), Olgerd (1345 - 1377) and Vitovt (1392 - 1430). Under them, Lithuania annexed the lands of White, Black and Red Russia, and also won the mother of Russian cities - Kiev from the Tatars. The official language of the Grand Duchy was Russian (this is how it was called in the documents, Ukrainian and Belarusian nationalists call it, respectively, "Old Ukrainian" and "Old Belarusian").
Since 1385, several unions have been concluded between Lithuania and Poland. The Lithuanian gentry began to adopt the Polish language, Polish culture, and convert from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. The local population was subjected to religious harassment. Several centuries earlier than in Muscovite Russia, serfdom was introduced in Lithuania (following the example of the possessions of the Livonian Order): Orthodox Russian peasants became the personal property of the Polonized gentry, who converted to Catholicism. Religious uprisings were raging in Lithuania, and the remaining Orthodox gentry appealed to Russia. In 1558 the Livonian War began.
During the Livonian War, suffering tangible defeats from the Russian troops, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569 went to the signing of the Union of Lublin: Ukraine completely seceded from the principality of Poland, and the lands of Lithuania and Belarus that remained in the principality were included with Poland in the confederate Rzecz Pospolita, obeying the foreign policy of Poland.
Results of the Livonian War 1558 - 1583 consolidated the position of the Baltic states for a century and a half before the outbreak of the Northern War of 1700 - 1721.
The annexation of the Baltic to Russia during the Northern War coincided with the implementation of Peter's reforms. Then Livonia and Estonia became part of Russian Empire... Peter I himself tried to establish relations with the local German nobility, the descendants of German knights, in a non-military way. Estonia and Vidzeme were annexed first (following the war in 1721). And only 54 years later, following the results of the third partition of the Rzecz Pospolita, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Duchy of Courland and Semigalsk became part of the Russian Empire after Catherine II signed the manifestos of April 15 and December 19, 1795.
At the time of the annexation of Livonia and Estonia in the Baltic territory, most of the nobility were precisely the Germans. This is due to the fact that the order of knighthood until the XVI century. regularly replenished with newcomers from Germany. Contrary to fears, no infringement of rights on the part of Peter I and subsequent tsars was observed; rather, on the contrary, the economic and judicial systems were gradually settled. In Estonia and Livonia, after being incorporated into Russia, the local legislative body was preserved, in the provinces that were previously part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Vilna, Vitebsk, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev provinces), the effect of the Lithuanian Statute of 1588 was preserved. or restrictions received the rights and privileges of the Russian nobility. Moreover, the Eastsee Germans (mainly the descendants of German knights from the Livonian and Courland provinces) were, if not more influential, then at least no less influential than the Russians, a nationality in the Empire: numerous dignitaries of the Empire were of Ostsee origin. Catherine II carried out a number of administrative reforms regarding the management of provinces, the rights of cities, where the independence of governors increased, but the actual power, in the realities of the time, was in the hands of the local, Baltic nobility.
By 1917, the Baltic lands were divided into Estland (center in Revel - now Tallinn), Livonia (center - Riga), Courland (center in Mitava - now Jelgava) and Vilna province (center in Vilna - now Vilnius). The provinces were characterized by a great mixed population: by the beginning of the 20th century. about 4 million people lived in the provinces, about half of them were Lutherans, about a quarter were Catholics, and about 16% were Orthodox. The provinces were inhabited by Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Germans, Russians, Poles, in the Vilnius province there was a relatively high proportion of the Jewish population.
It should be noted that in the Empire the population of the Baltic provinces was never subjected to any discrimination. On the contrary, serfdom was abolished in the Estland and Livonian provinces, for example, much earlier than in the rest of Russia - already in 1819. Provided that the local population knew the Russian language, there were no restrictions on admission to public service. Imperial government actively developed the local industry. Riga shared with Kiev the right to be the third most important administrative, cultural and industrial center of the Empire after St. Petersburg and Moscow.
The tsarist government had great respect for local customs and legal order.
As we can see, neither in medieval history nor in history tsarist period there was no tension in relations between the Russian and Baltic peoples. On the contrary, it was in Russia that these peoples found a source of protection from foreign oppression, found support for the development of their culture and preservation of their identity under the reliable protection of the Empire.
But even the Russian-Baltic history, rich in traditions of good-neighborliness, turned out to be powerless before contemporary issues in relations between countries caused by the period of communist rule.
In 1917 - 1920 the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) gained independence from Russia. At the same time, many representatives of the Russian nobility, officers, merchants, intellectuals, who were forced to flee from Russia after the victory of the Reds in the fratricidal civil war, found refuge in the Baltic States. But, as you know, in 1940, after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Baltic states were included in the USSR, which was accompanied by massive repressions and deportations for social and politically against the local population by the Soviet punitive authorities. Communist repressions both in 1940 - 1941, as well as the actual Civil War in the Baltic States in the 1940s - 1950s. for the return of countries to the path of independent civilized development against the communists, left a deep painful scar in the historical memory of Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians.
In 1990, the Baltic states proclaimed the restoration of state sovereignty. An attempt by the communists to retain power by force, throwing tanks and riot police against peaceful demonstrations in Vilnius and Riga, did not bring success. Communism in the Baltics has fallen. Unfortunately, many people now identify Russians and communists. On the part of the Balts, this entails spreading the guilt of the communist government to the entire Russian people, from which the Russian people also suffered, which causes Russophobia. On the part of the Russians, this, alas, provokes attempts to justify the crimes of the communists, which have no justification. But even with such relations in recent decades, it should be noted that the population of the Baltic countries, in addition to the official language, also speaks Russian. Economic, cultural and tourism relations are developing between Russia and the Baltic states. We are connected by family ties, long history and culture. I would like to believe that in the future the relations between the Baltic countries and Russia will become friendly and good-neighborly again, because history tends to repeat itself not only in something negative ...
